Mrs. Rudd was led into serious trouble by sexual impropriety. Her husband was insane and abusive, and she took legal steps to keep him away from her. After having fled and disguised herself under a false name for a number of months, her life settled down when Mr. Rudd emigrated and she was left a large inheritance by a friend who felt sorry for her. She then unfortunately made the acquaintance of Daniel Perreau, and after a time began living with him as his wife; they had three children. He speculated with and lost most of her money. He and his brother then became embroiled in an affair which concluded when they convinced her to forge the signature of a business associate on a bond. The forgery was discovered and she and her "husband's" brother were arrested. As it turned out she was acquitted for lack of evidence, but by that time her reputation was in tatters, since the publicity surrounding the case revealed her prior marriage. In her own account, where she answers various accusations made against her publicly by the Perreau brothers she is careful to give an account early on of how she reconciled her status as Perreau's mistress with the moral concerns of her family by determining to live in every way as if they were actually married.

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